


Sweet secrets

by imera



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coming Out, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2013-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-03 02:24:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1064623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imera/pseuds/imera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur was being the perfect son, until he met a stranger that turned his whole world upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweet secrets

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to continue this story, not sure how long it will be but I want to make it a story about a growing relationship, secrets and everything else I might come up with.
> 
> Unbetaed, so I hope it doesn't suck.
> 
> More tags, characters and pairings will be added later.

Arthur was in his way home from a rather big meeting that could have gone far better. He hasn't lost the account, but it wouldn't have surprised him if they had. His father was not an easy man to work with, his beliefs were strong and if the other company were different then being on his father's side would be the most difficult.

Arthur wouldn't have cared as much if it wasn't for the fact that he would one day inherit the company, and that every account he lost could mean people would get fired.

Exhausted he stood by the wall, not wanting to press himself down between the mother with the crying baby and the teen with her headphones playing loud rap music. For some strange reason that was the only vacant seat. There was probably more but Arthur was too tired to search for one.

Arthur would soon regret not looking for a seat in another carriage when on the next stop a large group of young men wearing matching jogging suits entered, and stood around him until he was pressed against the corner. Arthur released a deep breath and hoped the men would get off the next stop.

He would realise it was not his day as the men did not exit the train on the next stop, or the one after that, which made Arthur wish he’d stayed at work. The train continued on its journey, making all the typical sounds it always did as the carriage drove through the tunnels, stopping at stations and moving on the railroad, occasionally making high pitched screeching sounds which worsened Arthur’s headache. 

Not having anything special to do as he stood there Arthur noticed each man had a golden medal around their neck, and if Arthur didn’t know which sport they played he would have understood by their conversation where they discussed the great game they just had.

As the men shifted around Arthur became aware of a nice smell reached his nose. He closed his eyes to concentrate on the smell, blocking out every noise around him as memories came flooding back to him. Smiling faintly Arthur looked at the men and tried to locate the source of the smell.

It belonged to a dark haired boy with high cheeks, large ears and a smile which made Arthur’s belly twist. He recognised the feeling and quickly looked away, not wanting to be consumed by those familiar feelings when he struggled with a headache. Unfortunately his eyes couldn’t stay away for long, not when the young man laughed. Seeing the sharp cheekbones and his genuine smile sent a warmth through Arthur, and he had to fight the desire to touch the stranger.

None of the men paid him any attention, they didn’t seem to care that they kept bumping into Arthur. He didn't mind that he was invincible, especially because keeping his eyes off the young man was almost as difficult as keeping the directors from the other company happy during the meeting.

The longer he stood there more pineapple he smelled, and before he knew it he closed his eyes and thought back to the happy memories of sun and pineapples. He was on a vacation in the Caribbean, there he met Lawrence . Arthur knew from the start it was just a fling, which was why he let himself go and trusted the man. Every morning Lawrence would bring him a pineapple, creating one of Arthur’s fondest memories.

The speakers brought Arthur back as the train stopped at another station. He wasn’t far from home, Arthur noticed, and hoped that once he got off the train the headache would ease. The doors closed and the train moved once again. The train must have lost some of the grip on the railroad because suddenly it twitched, and everyone who stood stumbled slightly. Arthur was still holding the bar and didn’t stumble far, but the stranger crashed right into him, and the smell of pineapples increased.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said and took a step back. Arthur mumbled something and quickly looked at his feet, hoping the stranger wouldn’t notice that something was wrong.

As the train slowed down again Arthur’s grip tightened around his bag as he slowly tried to walk through the group of men. “Excuse me" Arthur said as he slowly walked through the group of men with as little physical contact as possible.

Standing in front of the door he heard the man with the high cheekbones laugh, again a tingling sensation passed through his body. For a brief moment he forgot everything and did something he’d regret, he turned around and looked at him, only to meet his eyes. Feeling as if he’d been caught in the middle of a crime Arthur turned back, staring out of the glass door as the train stopped on the station.

The wind was the first thing Arthur met when the door opened, sending a cold through his body that made him want to step back into the train. Arthur dug his head into his coat, taking a deep breath and slowly walking up the road.

He wasn’t far from home but life decided to mess with him again, and as he walked up a small slope he stepped on some ice and lost his footing. His whole world spinned before he ended upon his back, his briefcase flying in one direction and his arms and legs into another. The only good thing was that his head didn’t hit the ground. 

"Are you okay? " a slightly familiar voice asked a few seconds after his fall. Looking up Arthur saw the man with the amazing cheekbones from the train.

"Yes," Arthur lied. He tried moving but stopped as soon as a sharp pain shot through his leg.

"Are you sure?" The stranger asked after Arthur had stopped grunting because of the pain. The stranger sat down next to Arthur and did something Arthur never expected, he wrapped his fingers around Arthur’s bruised ankle. Arthur yelped, unable to hold back his natural reaction."See, you're not fine."

Arthur stared at the stranger and his un-British behaviour. "I need to get home, can't sit here until my ankle heals, I'll freeze to death if I do."

He smiled before moving slightly away, staring at Arthur with an amused look. "Do you want me to help you home?"

"I don't need help," Arthur replied quickly and tried to reach his bag that had fallen not too far away. Unfortunately it was out of his reach, and the stranger must have felt pity on him as Arthur struggled to reach it so he nudged it carefully closer to Arthur’s outstretched hand. "Thank you." Arthur struggled to add something rude at the end, the stranger did only try to help. With some struggle Arthur eventually made it up on his own feet, wobbling back and forth as his balance wasn’t the best in the world; everything would be fine as long as he didn’t fall over. 

The stranger was still standing next to Arthur, watching him as Arthur struggled with his balance. "I can manage, see." the other man looked far more amused than impressed. 

"If you can take five steps without wishing someone else had fallen in your place I won’t offer my help again, but if you can’t then you must let me tell help you home."

Arthur didn’t like the way the man smiled, as if he knew something Arthur didn’t, but he chose to accept the offer. "Fine," he said in a defeated tone.

Placing his hurt ankle on the ground he carefully stepped on it. The first step wasn't horrible, but neither did he like it. The second and third were almost the same, but the last two were a nightmare as an intense pain travelled from his bruised ankle to the rest of his leg. Arthur wasn't able to hold back a painful hiss, and while he didn't wish that someone else was unlucky in his place he did curse winter and everything it brought with it.

"So?" The stranger asked once Arthur had taken the five steps.

"I don't wish this on anyone else, but I would appreciate your help." Arthur quickly added the last, knowing that the stranger would most likely argue if he still refused to accept help.

"Good," he said with a smile so warm that made Arthur forget about the pain for a few seconds. All he could do as the stranger stared was to hope his cheeks hadn’t turned crimson red. “By the way, I’m Merlin.”

“Arthur,” he replied and shook Merlin’s outstretched hand.

“So, in which direction should we go?” Arthur’s cheeks turned slightly warmer when he realised the stranger would see his apartment, one place almost nobody had seen, not even his father.

Once the direction was given Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur’s waist so he wouldn’t fall. Making their way up the streets wasn’t the hardest thing Arthur had done, it was easier than the _fun trust games_ he had to participate in at work. He soon realised that Merlin was not a quiet person, especially not when he was asked a simple question. Arthur did the mistake of asking about the medal around his neck, and then Merlin told Arthur everything, from the beginning till the end, even the mood their coach was in.

“We’re here,” Arthur said when they had reached his building. “I think I can walk the remaining way by myself,” he added, not really wanting a stranger into his apartment.

“Don’t be silly, I don’t mind helping you.” Arthur was tempted to refuse, it was his only option, he knew that, but when he saw Merlin’s smile he forgot all about his own rules and allowed him to enter. It could have been a combination of the pain, pineapple smell and Merlin’s smile which made him do things he normally didn’t, all he was sure of was that Merlin was different.

Breathing became a difficult task the closer they got to his apartment, fearing granting Merlin entrance to his apartment was a big mistake. His fear, combined with the struggle to keep his feelings hidden from Merlin, made it harder for him to act normal. Arthur had always managed to keep his feelings towards other men hidden, until then nobody he knew were aware of his true nature. Because he couldn’t always lie to himself he often took trips far away where nobody knew him, where he could could make memories.

As he turned the key in the lock Arthur looked over at Merlin, who seemed to be occupied looking at a painting on the wall and didn’t notice him. He wanted to tell him he didn’t want visit, but ended up saying something completely different. “Do you want a cup of tea?” he asked, feeling slightly dumb.

“That would be lovely,” Merlin smiled. Arthur looked away, afraid Merlin could see the blush on his cheeks.

The door opened and they entered, Merlin helped Arthur with his jacket and shoes before they walked into the kitchen. “Do you want help?” Merlin asked politely as Arthur grabbed the water boiler.

“You could pick out the tea,” Arthur proposed and pointed at the cabinet where he held all his tea. Merlin smiled again, sending more warm tingles through Arthur’s body; Arthur didn’t know how much he could take before he threw the man out of his apartment, or attacked his lips with his own. Knowing that the first option was better than the last, Arthur bit his lower lip as he tried to gain control over his feelings once more.

“You’ve got a lot of flavors,” Merlin marked a few moments later.

“I like to try new things.”

“I bet you do.” Arthur looked at Merlin, not sure what he meant. He knew that whatever he thought he’d heard it wasn’t real, that it was just his naughty mind playing games with him.

Arthur tried to reach for the cups which were on the second shelf, finding it slightly harder to grab them because of his new handicap. “Let me help you,” Merlin offered and grabbed two cups before Arthur could say anything. Arthur was suddenly aware of how close they were standing and quickly moved away, almost knocking over a vase as his balance was still off.

“Careful, wouldn’t want to hurt your last good leg,” Merlin laughed and placed the two cups on the counter, making it difficult for Arthur to stare at him without struggling to breathe.

Clearing his throat he faced the living room, which was luckily in the opposite direction of where Merlin was standing. Clumsily he made his way to his sofa, slowly sitting down so his pain wouldn’t increase. Arthur closed his eyes a brief moment, needing to relax after all the embarrassment.

His clothes had a faint pineapple smell which reminded him about Caribbean, only that unlike before his memories contained a new element, Merlin. It was more of a fantasy, Merlin bringing him the pineapples every morning, planting a soft kiss on his cheek before embracing Arthur.

Merlin’s voice broke through Arthur’s daydream. “Do you want a painkiller?”

“No, that won’t be necessary.” Opening his eyes he realised Merlin was staring at him. At first he wanted to look away, but then decided to treat Merlin like he would any colleague of his. “So, what do you do, besides football?”

Merlin offered Arthur one of the cups, which Arthur eagerly accepted. Taking a sip he realised the tea was not like he liked it, it was far too sweet.

"I'm currently studying to become a pediatrician, one year left." Arthur didn’t find it too difficult to imagine Merlin with children.

“You must like kids then.” Merlin nodded as he sipped his tea.

Arthur stared at his own cup, wanting to drink it but finding it difficult to do because of the sweetness. Having Merlin prepare the tea had told him something, Merlin had a sweet tooth. Moving further down in his sofa Arthur lifted his leg and carefully rested it on the edge of the table, hoping that keeping it elevated would ease the pulsing pain.

"Do you an ice pack, or anything we can use as an ice pack?"

"I might have some frozen peas in the freezer." Merlin smiled again and jumped up, moving quickly to kitchen. Arthur watched him as he walked around the small area, finding the frozen peas and a kitchen towel. It wasn’t before Merlin returned that Arthur looked away, staring at his sweet tea.

When Merlin sat down next to Arthur they were so close that their thighs touched, Arthur struggled to breathe once again. The pineapple scent became stronger and filled Arthurs nostrils again, calming Arthur.

Fingers crawled over his hurt ankle, bringing Arthur back from his calm state. He watched Merlin as he carefully wrapped the towel and the peas around the swollen ankle. Arthur took a deep breath and told himself Merlin was just being kind, helping him as he couldn’t do it himself. There were no hidden messages, or any special connection between them, but that didn’t stop Arthur’s temperature to increase and his hands felt damper, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t keep his eyes off Merlin.

“Leave it on for a while and I’m sure the swelling will go down soon.”

“Thanks,” he replied and smiled. Arthur thought once Merlin was done with the ankle he’d return to his seat, but the man continued to sit next to him, their thighs still touching.

“So what do you do?” Merlin asked as if they were old friends.

“Eh, I’m a executive manager at Pendragon Industry,” he answered quickly, finding it difficult to talk about his job to a complete stranger.

“Impressive. Is it fun to work there?” Arthur sipped his sweet tea and thought about Merlin’s question for a second. It was fun in the beginning, before he had any responsibility and his father started pushing Arthur into becoming a copy of himself.

“It used to be fun,” he admitted, making a face as the sweet tea touched his tongue. He didn’t want to drink it but he didn’t have anything else, and he didn’t want to disappoint Merlin by telling him he didn’t like it.

“That doesn’t sound nice, have you thought about finding another job?”

Arthur didn’t want to but unless he wanted to make up some crazy story to why he wouldn’t quit his boring job, he knew he had to tell the truth. “My father owns the company,” he said briefly, taking a larger sip from his tea.

“So you’re the heir to his kingdom.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, just saying that as his son you’re probably obliged to take over his position in the end, especially if you’re an only child.” Arthur nodded and looked away, hating that a stranger was right. “So I take it because you’re in line of the throne you don’t really go out.”

“Why do you ask?” Arthur stared at Merlin suspiciously, wondering why he was so interested in Arthur’s life.

“No reason, just curious how the privileged live their lives.” Arthur wasn’t sure if he should believe Merlin but decided not to say anything.

“And what about you, how do you live?” he asked, wondering if Merlin would be as open about his life as Arthur was.

“My father left before I was born, and my mother lives in a small town.” That explained Merlin’s strange behaviour; small towns were known for being more friendly, even towards strangers.

"So I should assume you're in the clubs every weekend, since you probably didn't have them in your town?" Merlin gasped, and did something Arthur never would have done at his age, he stuck out his tongue like a small child. 

"Real mature," Arthur marked and returned his cup to the table.

"Who said that only because you're old you have to act your age?"

"If you want to be taken seriously you should."

"Life is too short to be serious," Merlin marked. Arthur laughed, Merlin wasn't like anyone else he knew.

Merlin glanced at his clock one second and nearly jumped up from the sofa. "Shit, I have to go, already late."

"For what, your tea party with the March Hare?" Arthur couldn’t help feeling saddened by the thought of Merlin leaving, they didn’t know each other but Arthur felt as if they could become friends.

Merlin stopped and stared at Arthur with one of his largest smiles Arthur had seen on him. "I bet that joke hurt your serious ass."

"Fuck off." Arthur had a tiny urge to stuck out his tongue, but didn’t because that would make him just as childish as Merlin.

“You’ll get your wish soon.” His reply was strange, but he didn’t give Arthur any time to think about it before he continued with his strange behaviour. “So, you really don’t go out during the weekends?”

“Why do you ask?” Arthur stared at Merlin, his expression difficult to read.

“Nothing special, just wondered if you might want to go out with me sometime.”

Arthur had not expected Merlin to ask him out, and quickly had to remind himself that it was just a friendly trip, Merlin probably felt sorry for him and his pathetic life.

“What, afraid your father will hear about it?” Arthur disliked the tone Merlin used, like Arthur didn’t dare do anything his father didn’t want him to do.

“I don’t need his permission,” Arthur started, only to be interrupted by Merlin, who clearly wasn’t afraid to say what was on his mind.

“Good, then how about next weekend?” Arthur opened his mouth, about to say something, but closed it again when he didn’t find an acceptable answer. “If you really don’t want to go out then you don’t have to, just thought it would be nice to ask. I’ll write down the time and place where I’ll be next weekend, and my number in case you ever want to give me a call.” A few sounds escaped Arthur’s throat, none that really made any sense, so Arthur closed it again. Merlin walked over to the tiny table by the door where he picked up a pen and scribbled down something on the writing pad Arthur kept there in case he needed it.

“Don’t feel pressured, if you don’t show up I won’t be disappointed. Ok, I do have to go now.”

“Goodbye,” Arthur managed to say as Merlin found his jacket and opened the door.

“Until later,” the other man replied, winking at Arthur before he left.

Except for the smell of pineapple that still lingered in the room, two cups of tea that were both too sweet for Arthur’s taste, and something written on the writing pad by the door, there was no evidence that anyone had ever been in his apartment.

Resting his head against the back of his sofa he thought about everything that had happened, from the moment he stepped onto the subway up until the second where Merlin left, and then he thought about the party, and wondered if the best thing to do was to stay at home.


End file.
